[nightstreak]

I scoped out the mall layout and couldn't help but realize that it feels like the Eaton Centre keeps The Bay and Saks separate from the mall even though they own the building and The Bay are tenants like all the others. People just kind of turn around and go back into the mall.

If The Bay vacates, the obvious thing will be to continue the natural flow of the mall corridor into the heritage building with stores on either side after the bridge. This space would have been a better fit for Simons. I wonder if it's too late. Isn't Simons supposed to open next year?

 

[Towered]

We could always turn it into the "new" Science Centre!

 

[Towered]

No such thing as too casual for me, haha. I regularly violate the vaguely worded corporate "dress code", and nobody has said shit about it

 

[PL1]

Poor young dude probably not used seeing people wearing ties in this day in age. You work in tech industry like my Gen Z nephews and cousins kids, they deal with very, very relaxed dress codes, and most of the work is done from home. So they could work in the nude if they wanted to.

My one brother (late 40s) is a director at a tech firm. He usually wears Lululemon or other such athlesiure. My other brother (mid 40s) at a big bank wears business casual unless meeting with a regulator or some such.

I get to wear scrubs (sorta like pyjamas) all day, so I think I win.

 

[Admiral Beez]

We could always turn it into the "new" Science Centre!

Not a bad idea. Maybe make a wing in Old City Hall. Here’s the London Science Museum below.

I could see the Queen Yonge store in the same light. Just keep those new age architects who chopped up the ROM’s classic face away.

 

[TossYourJacket]

I scoped out the mall layout and couldn't help but realize that it feels like the Eaton Centre keeps The Bay and Saks separate from the mall even though they own the building and The Bay are tenants like all the others. People just kind of turn around and go back into the mall.

If The Bay vacates, the obvious thing will be to continue the natural flow of the mall corridor into the heritage building with stores on either side after the bridge. This space would have been a better fit for Simons. I wonder if it's too late. Isn't Simons supposed to open next year?

Simons is opening this fall. There is no way they relocate from the space they currently have under construction. Way too far along in the process.

 

[Jonny5]

Just went to the Yorkdale location. It was bustling on the lower levels, but you can tell the liquidation sales are not quite happening yet. It just looked like normal clearance to me.

They taped the whole Hugo Boss section off here too... But hey, the down escalators were functional. I felt like the luckiest shopper ever for that reason

That is hilarious as when you said "taped off" I didn't expect to scroll down to the photo and see it is literally tape.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Not a bad idea. Maybe make a wing in Old City Hall. Here’s the London Science Museum.

I could see the Queen Yonge store in the same light. Just keep those new age architects who chopped up the ROM’s classic face away.

Beyond the fact that this isn't a government owned - I am not sure if putting OSC there is a good fit given the commercial potential of the site. What I would love to see is a complete redevelopment. Lower the basement level to facilitate better connection to Queen Station and the new OL (plus new food hall) - retail and densify the site (either a discreet addition or a point tower). A more generous public realm would help too.

AoD

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

So, how does a company that owned most of its real estate outright, with positive mortgage income come to have $724 million in mortgage debt 24 years later? That's the story the financial media should be reporting on - about how US private equity is buying up historic Canadian businesses that employ thousands of Canadians and hold pensions for thousands more, being saddled with junk debt and asset fire sales to finance big payouts and then dumped into bankruptcy. This needs to stop.

Precisely.

The Hudson's Bay is a cornerstone of Canadian heritage, the company is literally older than the country and had a significant historical role in establishing settlement, early contact, and exploration in many parts of the land.

Given the political climate right now, I do wonder if the new Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault could earn a win by saving the brand and nameplate in the coming liquidation sale, if no angel investor stands up.

I am not one for government intervention in private business, but I think this is one of the few times I would be supportive of such a move.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Precisely.

The Hudson's Bay is a cornerstone of Canadian heritage, the company is literally older than the country and had a significant historical role in establishing settlement, early contact, and exploration in many parts of the land.

Given the political climate right now, I do wonder if the new Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault could earn a win by saving the brand and nameplate in the coming liquidation sale, if no angel investor stands up.

I am not one for government intervention in private business, but I think this is one of the few times I would be supportive of such a move.

The artifacts could be covered under the Cultural Property Export and Import Act as well.

AoD

 

[ShonTron]

Precisely.

The Hudson's Bay is a cornerstone of Canadian heritage, the company is literally older than the country and had a significant historical role in establishing settlement, early contact, and exploration in many parts of the land.

Given the political climate right now, I do wonder if the new Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault could earn a win by saving the brand and nameplate in the coming liquidation sale, if no angel investor stands up.

I am not one for government intervention in private business, but I think this is one of the few times I would be supportive of such a move.

It would raise a few eyebrows, given HBC’s American ownership in the last two decades, and that nothing happened for Eaton’s, which had a more pronounced impact on Canadian retail, even if it didn’t have the longer colonial history. Eaton’s had the famous catalogue of lore, even in Quebec. HBC didn’t even have any department stores west of Winnipeg until 1960.

 

[Admiral Beez]

The artifacts could be covered under the Cultural Property Export and Import Act as well.

It's also a part of British history and should have additional protection.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

It would raise a few eyebrows, given HBC’s American ownership in the last two decades, and that nothing happened for Eaton’s, which had a more pronounced impact on Canadian retail, even if it didn’t have the longer colonial history. Eaton’s had the famous catalogue of lore, even in Quebec. HBC didn’t even have any department stores west of Winnipeg until 1960.

I'm not one to doubt that Eaton's had a significant impact on the history of retail in Canada but I am a bit less sympathetic towards Eaton's compared to HBC because the reality is that businesses do come and go.

HBC is more than just any business with regard to Canadian history, as it has direct historical connections to the establishment of our country from coast to coast to coast. It's historical ties and year plaque serve as literal evidence legitimizing our country's existence within our current borders.

Also, frankly, we didn't know better back then regarding heritage preservation. We were still regularly razing down historical buildings for parking lots. Today we can do better.

 

[matrix]

Precisely.

The Hudson's Bay is a cornerstone of Canadian heritage, the company is literally older than the country and had a significant historical role in establishing settlement, early contact, and exploration in many parts of the land.

Given the political climate right now, I do wonder if the new Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault could earn a win by saving the brand and nameplate in the coming liquidation sale, if no angel investor stands up.

I am not one for government intervention in private business, but I think this is one of the few times I would be supportive of such a move.

I wouldn't mind that either, but if that happens I'd wonder how the government would use that namesake. Would they be running the department stores as a crown corporation? That opens a whole new can of worms

 

[DSCToronto]

It's also a part of British history and should have additional protection.

The archives are now all kept in Winnipeg:

Hudson’s Bay Company Archives History​

From its founding by Royal Charter in 1670 and throughout its history, HBC has kept careful and detailed records of its activities, growth and expansion. Many of these records have survived, leaving a legacy of information of great significance. In the 1920s HBC’s head office in London, England, began to arrange and describe its records to make them more accessible for company and scholarly use. In 1970, HBC’s head office was moved to Canada. In 1974 the company put its records on loan with the Archives of Manitoba and twenty years later, on 27 January 1994, the records were officially donated to the Province.